Internships and Professional Development

Certificate in the Teaching of Writing Requirements

First, the Certificate is incredibly valuable. Rhetorical training is ideal for creative writers: the ability to teach others to write for particular audiences and situations never goes out of style. You will gain a vocabulary that many creative writers lack, which puts you at a distinct advantage on the job market.

The MFA blog has the summary of the Certificate here.

Two classes OVERLAP with the MFA degree (these can count as both lit courses and Cert. in Teaching of Writing courses):

• ENG 402: Topics in Literary and Critical Theory (existing course)

• ENG 485: Internship (existing course, with new Writing Center option)

Courses that have to be taken separately for the Certificate:

• ENG 463: Topics in Language, Rhetoric, and Writing (new course)

• ENG 467: Composition Theory (existing course) ONLY OFFERED IN THE SUMMER (Online)

This adds six more ours to the typical MFA Degree (if you have taken or will take the teaching or writing center internship). For a total of 48.

Women and Gender Studies Certificate

Supplement your training with a specialization in the interdisciplinary field of women’s and gender studies (WGS). Women’s and gender studies research, theories, and methodologies have had an impact on every field of academic study.

A graduate certificate in women’s and gender studies will enable you to

· develop expertise in historical and contemporary issues concerning women, gender, and sexuality

· add interdisciplinary breadth to your academic pursuits with a customized program of study

· earn a professional credential to complement other training

Because the program is interdisciplinary, and because students bring their own interests and goals, each certificate program will be individualized. The graduate certificate program is open to both post-baccalaureate and degree-seeking graduate students.

Certificate students will be taking classes with both students and professors who have made WGS their main field and those who are using it as cross-study to supplement their main field. In these classes, students develop knowledge of women's and gender studies issues, theories, and methods. In particular, our program focuses on the analysis of social institutions, networks of power, and cultural productions, as well as avenues of resistance, justice, and transformation.

WGS certificate consists of four courses (12 semester hours).

There are two core courses:

WGS 402 Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies (offered every fall)

WGS 404 Topics in Feminist Theories (offered every semester)

There are two electives, which may be fulfilled by any combination of the following:

Additional Topics in Feminist Theories courses (WGS 404)

WGS 497 WGS Project

Cross-listed 400-level WGS electives

Core courses

In core WGS courses, students learn how and why the study of gender and sexuality is central to understanding our past histories, the world around us, and our visions for the future.

If you are interested in obtaining a Graduate Certificate in Women's and Gender Studies, please download and complete the Application and submit it to:

Ellen O'Brien

Director, Women’s and Gender Studies Program

eobrien@roosevelt.edu

Writing Center Opportunities for MFA Students

Internship in the Writing Center

Internships are an integral part of Roosevelt's MFA Program. All students will be required to complete at least one internship during their tenure at Roosevelt. These internships can come in the form of on or off-campus internships, secured privately through the student and their employer. On-campus internships include assisting professors with class instruction, and Roosevelt's Writing Center.

Writing Center interns will work directly with the Writing Center Director and participate in all aspects of the Writing Center Community. In addition to tutoring, they may construct training curriculum, review administrative frameworks, organize community-building projects, and conduct writing forums and workshops. The Writing Center internship course carries an intensive reading component (Writing Center and Composition Theory) and a concluding reflective essay.

Tutoring in the Writing Center

As a Writing Center Staff Tutor, a student will be responsible for tutoring his or her peers in writing. In addition to tutoring, being a staff tutor requires on-going training around tutoring and writing—this training will be part of a student's weekly work hours. Staff tutors will also assist in the general running of the Writing Center, assisting with administrative tasks and community building as needed.

+ teaching composition internship

+ teaching creative writing internship

+ writing for the Torch